Foreign adversaries are poised to exploit the divisions within the United States as the country heads towards the presidential election in November, according to current and former U.S. officials and politicians from both parties.
The deepening political crises, the failure of attempts to regulate political speech on social media, and the emergence of generative AI are expected to make the 2024 election vulnerable to interference from Russia and other countries with their own agendas.
Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and Democratic nominee, emphasized the importance of voting as a defense against foreign interference.
United States Amid 2024 Election (Credits: Mississippi Today)
She stated, “Our foreign adversaries are more motivated than ever to try and interfere in our elections. Our best defense is a good offense, which means getting out to vote like our democracy depends on it, because it does.”
The outcome of the U.S. election is critical for nations in conflict, including Russia and Ukraine, Iran and its adversaries, and China and Taiwan.
These countries could use misinformation, intelligence operations, or manipulation of global oil prices and trade flows to influence the election outcome.
Russia’s interference in the 2016 election serves as a blueprint for other countries. While the impact of Russia’s efforts remains disputed, there is consensus that Russia has the capability to run influence campaigns.
A recent intelligence community assessment identified China and Iran as major threats, with Cuba and possibly North Korea and Venezuela as smaller-scale players.
Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, noted that China and Iran are also trying to improve their interference capabilities, posing a growing threat.
However, the U.S. government may be underprepared to counter foreign interference due to a lack of communication between the federal government and technology platforms.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner expressed concern about the combination of political discontent, increased adversary interest, and the use of AI tools that can act at an unprecedented scale and speed. He described it as a “recipe for disaster.”
Despite these concerns, the U.S. government has not publicly identified any specific evidence of foreign nations meddling in the 2024 election. Officials have stated that there are no known credible threats to the election operations.
